A new federal program helps provide meals to kids when school is not in session. These states opted out

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is opting out of a new federal summer food program aimed at reducing childhood hunger that could have benefitted more than 400,000 children in the state this year.

The program provides extra money to cover food costs for children in low-income families during summer months when schools are closed. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected an estimated $60 million in federal funds, citing concerns over the federal government’s implementation of the program and asserting that sufficient food resources for children already existed in the state.

The federal government is set to cover the expenses for the benefits, but states that opt in would be required to contribute half of the operational costs associated with running the program.

Oklahoma is one of 15 states that declined to administer the program, though three of the state’s Native American tribes have announced their intent to offer the benefits to any child on their reservations. They are among the four tribes, 35 states and five U.S. territories that plan to offer these grocery benefits to an estimated 21 million children in the country.

Congress created the permanent Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, or Summer EBT, in 2022, echoing the grocery benefits of a similar pandemic-era program that ended in 2023. Under Summer EBT, families with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches will receive $40 per month per child.

The USDA said this program will be a “giant step forward” in bridging the hunger gap during the summer months when kids are not receiving school breakfasts or lunches as they do the rest of the year. Vince Hall, chief government relations officer at Feeding America, said the Summer EBT program is the “most significant, shining example of Congress looking at something that worked well during the pandemic and using it as a model for a permanent nutrition program.”

States that chose not to participate in the program will have another chance to opt in for summer 2025, according to the department.

Why did Oklahoma reject the funding?

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt delivers remarks at a May news conference at the state Capitol.

When announcing that Oklahoma would opt out of the program, Stitt’s office said in a statement there are existing services like the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and state-level food programs that already address food insecurity. The governor has further said there was a lack of information around the federal program, saying there was “more bureaucracy for families to wade through.”

“We gave over $20 million over the last couple of years to different food banks,” Stitt told KJRH News. “So, we are satisfied that kids won’t be going hungry in the summertime. We just don’t know enough about the program; not saying we won’t do it next year.”

Chris Bernard, president and CEO of nonprofit Hunger Free Oklahoma, said the reality is some families in Oklahoma will go without food without this extra money.

“We’re one of the worst in the nation, and that’s been true for a while now,” Bernard said.

More than 1 in 5 Oklahoma children have limited or inadequate access to the food they need, according to the nonprofit. About 60 percent of students in the state are eligible for free and reduced lunches during the school year, according to the latest figures from the National Center for Education. Only eight states have a higher percentage of eligible students.

Hunger Free Oklahoma also reports that only 6 percent of eligible children participate in summer food programs. The primary obstacle is a lack of access, particularly in rural areas where food pantries are scarce, according to the nonprofit.

“Parents are going to skip meals or you’re going to stretch meals farther,” Bernard said. “The charitable side will try and fill that gap. But there are going to be some struggles.”

Why limited food access is an ‘extreme problem’ for rural families

As Oklahoma turns away from federal aid, nonprofits like Bernard’s are worried about the existing gaps in food access and the challenges of providing adequate nutrition to children in the state.

For rural Oklahomans, food tends to be more expensive because it costs more to get food to those rural communities, and smaller markets typically have to set higher prices to make a profit, Bernard said.

“Access is more of an extreme problem in rural communities because you have to drive further to get to it,” Bernard said. “That’s an added cost onto consumers. You spend more time to access your food, and there is less access to the charitable side to help you supplement your budget when you’re struggling.”

This includes during the summer break, a reality underscored by this U.S. Department of Agriculture map that shows the food stores clustered around bigger cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Critics have pointed to the discrepancy between Oklahoma touting a record surplus and savings in its budget and the state’s high child hunger statistics, challenging Stitt’s assertion that existing programs are addressing the issue.

“We’ve systemically defunded vital social services for years in Oklahoma now, almost like a blood sport for political gain,” said state Rep. Forrest Bennett, a Democrat. “It’s at the expense of plenty of folks who need our compassion and get cruelty instead, especially kids.”

The Oklahoma State Legislature is in special session this week after the governor urged legislators to pass tax cuts, including a cut of the grocery sales tax.

Why some Oklahoma tribes are opting into Summer EBT

Four tribes — including the Chickasaw Cherokee and Choctaw nations in Oklahoma —have committed to launching the Summer EBT program this year.

Before it became a nationally authorized program, Summer EBT offered as a pilot program for more than a decade, and the USDA collaborated with several tribes to fine-tune how a federal effort could address the nutritional needs of children when school is not in session.

Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said the tribe first implemented a version of the program in 2012. Last year, the Chickasaw Nation provided benefits to more than 47,000 children, he said, adding the tribe plans to continue offering the extra money through the now-permanent program.

“As we have gained a better understanding about nutrition and its role in overall health and wellness, we have strengthened our commitment to this program,” Anoatubby said in a statement.

Anoatubby said the program has historically been available to anyone with First American heritage and is income eligible, but that Chickasaw Nationa’s goal is to continue to ensure the program remains available to help meet the needs of families in its local communities.

Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement the tribe has been enrolled in past demonstrations of Summer EBT for the past five years. He anticipates an increase in program participation when applications open in the spring. He was also disappointed when the governor announced the state would not participate in the summer food program.

“We know how vital food security is for families and overall health and wellness,” Hoskin said. “It’s regrettable and bewildering that the state of Oklahoma is abandoning federal funding and losing an opportunity to address child food insecurity.”

Oklahoma joins several other states whose governors rejected the funding citing reasons ranging from “not believing” in welfare to concerns over childhood obesity.

“There isn’t really a political reason for not doing this. This is unfortunate,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the Washington Post. “I think governors may not have taken the time or made the effort to understand what this program is and what it isn’t.”

While the state forgoes the federal funding for this year, Bernard and Hunger Free Oklahoma say they will try to help families the best they can. A regional meeting for organizations and professionals looking for resources to feed children during the summer months is planned for late-February.

Its goal is to not leave some of the most vulnerable in the state — children — behind.